Hydraulic pump and sump



Oct. Z4, 1967 W. T. STEPHENS ETAL HYDRAULIC PUMP AND SUMP Filed March 7, 1966 F59" f u United States. .Patent 3,348,491 HYDRAULIC PUMP AND SUMP William T. Stephens, Mentor, Ohio, and Davidv N. Prevallet, Auburn, Ind., assiguors to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 532,159

9 Claims. (CI. 103-87) This invention relates toa hydraulic pump mechanism and more particularly to animproved sump mech-anism for a uid pump. y

It is theobject of the present invention to provide -a sump for a fluid pump which pump and its mounting may be rotated relative .to said sump to provide for mounting of the pump in various angular orientations 'with respect to horizontal yand wherein,due to relativerotation of said pump with respect to said sump, the fluid inlet to the pump and the iiuid inlets to the sump may be maintained in proper relationship to horizontal to ensure adequate supply of iluid to the pump.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved sump mechanism for a pump including` an improved inlet tube structure which acts both ias aA support mechanism for the sump Vand as a fluid supply means for the pump.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is an overall view of the motor, pump and sump combination;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along linesY 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 1, therein is disclosed a motor 10, a valve casing 11 and a sump 12. Sump 12 includes an end wall 12a. Within the sump V12, as will be seen in FIGURE 2, a pump mechanism 13 is located which is attached to the valve casing 11 and is connected by shaft 14 to be driven by motor 10. The mechanism 10, 11, and 12 comprises a power unit which is adaptable to be used in various environments where fluid pressure is desired. As for example, to act as the fluid pressure source for the lifting mechanism on the lifting ramp on the rear of trucks so equipped.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the pump 13 has a housing extension 17 thereon which has the inlet port (not illustrated) therein for the pump 13. The extension 17 has a bore 18 therein in which is rotatably litted an inlet tube 20 which may be of molded plastic or other construction. The tubeV 20 is generally of an L-shaped construction having a horizontally extending portion- 21 and avertically extending portion 22. A bore 23 runs through the tube 20 having an outlet portion 24 and an inlet portion 25. Mounted within the inlet portion 25 is a filter screen 26 which is of slightly larger diameter than the bore or inlet portion 25 so that it may be forced into inlet portion 25 and will be retained therein.l A bolt 27 extends through the horizontal portion 21 of inlet tube 20 and is threaded in extension 17 at 30.

The bolt 27 extends through the portion 21 of inlet tube 20 and is coaxial with inlet tube 20. The bolt 27 passes through a hole 31 in the sump 12 and thereby serves to secure the sump 12 to the valve casing 11 with end wall 12a engaging tube 20.

Seal rings are provided at various locations to provide iiuid sealing engagement. Seal ring 32 provides a fluid seal between extension 17 and inlet tube 20. Seal ring 33 Aso 3,348,491 Patented Oct. 24, 1,967

ICC

provides a iiuid seal between inlet tube 20 and sump 12 and seal ring 34 provides a fluid seal between sump 12 and valve casing 11.

A-n inlet hole or opening 38 is formed in sump 12 which is closed Yby a breather cap 39. The sump 12 may be filled with fluid through opening 38. The inlet tube 20 is illustrated as secured to the sump 12 vby a screw 40,' however, other known means may be used to connect'the tube 20 vto the sump `12`so that the sump 12and the tube` 20 will 'rotate as a unit with respect to the bolt 27 andrthe pump 13 and valve casing 11.

As willi be apparent from the above description, when the motor 10 and casing, 11 and thereby pump 13 are mounted they may be mounted in various angular displacements with respect to a horizontal line and the inlet 38 to the sump and the inlet 25 to the pump maintained in proper relation V,to horizontal so that fluid insumpl 12 will not run out inlet 38, by means of rel-ative rotation o f the sumpjr12 with respect to motorl, casing 11 and pump 13. Further, the pump and. motor unit could be mounted with the `end portion 12a ofthe sump 12 horizontal and below the pump 13,'and the proper relation of parts still'maintained sincel with respect to horizontal, inlet 25 for the inlet tube 20 would still be in the lower portion of the sump and the inletv hole lvfor theV sump at the upper portion of the sump.

Due to the use of the molded inlet tube 20 a very economical structure is provided since the inlet tube serves both as an inlet to the pump and as a support structure for the sump 12. The sumpt12 and inlet tube 20 are made coaxial to provide for the relative rotation described above.

From the above it will be apparent that applicants have provided an improved pump and sump structure utilizing a combined support and inlet .tube of low cost construction. Further relativerotation of the sump with respect to the other parts is provided to maintainthe proper fluid relationship of the sump inlet and pump inlet with respect to the fluid within the sump regardless of the angular orientation of the motor and pump u nit, thus allowing a great flexibility in the installation of the iiuid pressure supplying package.

Various of the features of the invention have been particularly shown and described; however, it should be obvious to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a combined motor and pump'assembly, a casing enclosing said motor said pump being mounted on an end of said casing, a cylindrical sump for said pump mounted on said casing encircling said pump and having a central axis, said cylindrical sump having a iiuid sealing engagement with said casing and being rotatable with respect thereto, a housing for said pump, inlet means connected to said pump housing having a fluid sealing relationship with respect thereto and being coaxial with said central axis, said inlet means having a fluid inlet portion remote from said pump and extending radially outwardly from said inlet means, a liuid inlet for said sump formed in said cylindrical sump on the opposite side of said central axis from said liuid inlet portion of said tube whereby said pump and motor unit may be mounted in various angular positions about said axis and said sump and pump inlets maintained in proper vertical relationship to hori-l 4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 2 including means extending "through said inlet "tube 1vconnectedto "said pump housing .and adapted to secure said inlet tube and said sump to said housing and casing respectively.

5. :'In a `pump mechanism va 'cylindrical sump 'adapted to be lled with uid having a central Saxis, and `encircling said pump, said sump having an end Wa'll, vinlet means for said `pump `comprising va :tube extending between vsaid pumpand said Yend wall 'of said sump, said inlet means having an inlet portionextending'radiallyfrom said central axis, a illuid :inlet .means for lsaid sump including .an inlet portion formed in :said :cylindrical 'sump on the opposite yside Lof fsaid :central axis ffrom said lradially extending vinlet 1portiono'ffsaid pump inlet means,-said 'inlet means V-and said'sump being'rotatable lWith krespect tosaid pump wherebyisaid Apump may vbe fmounted in various radial positions `about said axis and 'the vertical relationship 'of'said sump inlet and :said pump inlet with respect to horizontal maintained 4Vby relative rotationof said sump with respect to said pump.

6. A pump mechanism v`as `claimed in fclaim 5 wherein saidpump linlet means comprises a support structure for said sump and said fsump is secured to said inlet means lfor yrotation therewith.

7. Apump mechanism as claimedin-claim '5 `wherein said inlet means for said Apump comprises a plastictube.

8. A pump mechanism as claimed in Yclaim 7 wherein the inlet portion kof said inlet ftube 'is adjacent said'end -wall and remote kfrom said pump `whereby iiu'id =will be Ysaid pump 'i's 'mounted "with "said end wall being 'horizontal 'and said central axis extending vertically upward from said end wall.

9. A combined uid inlet and support structure for a pump comprising a plastic-inlet tube having a central axis mounted on said pump and being relatively rotatable'with respect'to said pump, la housing .for said sump, a cylindrical sumpfor saidpump adapted to be lled with uid and including an :end wall engaging .an end of said inlet tube remote from said :pump and yencircling said pump, said sump engaging said pump housing and being relatively :rotatable with respect thereto, means extending through said inlet tube and l-coaxialtherewith securing said sump and said inlet tube to said pump housing whereby `said pump maybe fmounted in various angular'positions about said central -axisfand by relative rotationofsaid inlet tube and said sump kwith respect to said pump the proper space relationship of said inlet vtube With respect `to the uid in said sump maintained.

References Cited rUNITED lSTATES PATENTS 2,383,153 8/1945 `Parsons 103-118 X L2,765,746 10/.1956 Omon (S0-52 X .3,170,409 .2A/1965 lMcLeod etal 103--118 X ROBERT 'WALKER Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COMBINED MOTOR AND PUMP ASSEMBLY, A CASING ENCLOSING SAID MOTOR SAID PUMP BEING MOUNTED ON AN END OF SAID CASING, A CYLINDRICAL SUMP FOR SAID PUMP MOUNTED ON SAID CASING ENCIRCLING SAID PUMP AND HAVING A CENTRAL AXIS, AND CYLINDRICAL SUMP HAVING A FLUID SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CASING AND BEING ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, A HOUSING FOR SAID PUMP, INLET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PUMP HOUSING HAVING A FLUID SEALING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT THERETO AND BEING COAXIAL WITH SAID CENTRAL AXIS, SAID INLET MEANS HAVING A FLUID INLET PORTION REMOTE FROM SAID PUMP AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID INLET MEANS, A FLUID INLET FOR SAID SUMP FORMED IN SAID CYLINDRICAL SUMP ON THE OPPOSITE OF SAID CENTRAL AXIS FROM SAID FLUID INLET PORTION OF SAID TUBE WHEREBY SAID PUMP AND MOTOR UNIT MAY BE MOUNTED IN VARIOUS ANGULAR POSITIONS ABOUT SAID AXIS AND SAID SUMP AND PUMP INLETS MAINTAINED IN PROPER VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP TO HORIZONTAL BY RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID SUMP WITH RESPECT TO SAID PUMP AND MOTOR. 